GET TO KNOW
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endpoints, from
mobiles to laptops, both of which are
considered the easiest entry point for threat
actors today, as captured in the 2019
Verizon Data Breach Report. Organisations
will be doubling down on their investments
to protect that highest rate of penetration
from threat actors in the coming years.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside of the office?
Good music – I like classic rock and 80’s
alternative – and doing home improvements.
This can be anything from redoing a shower,
to installing new shelves. I’m also a car guy,
so a good drive over the weekend is always
in the mix.
If you could go back and change one
career decision, what would it be?
I would have taken more time to learn a
second or third language when I had the
opportunity. I studied Spanish all through
primary school and took several classes
in college as well. I had an opportunity to
utilise these skills early in my career and
passed on the opportunity out of ignorance.
Today, having the language foundation
and technical knowledge would be a huge
benefit in communicating the state of
cybersecurity in my global travels.
THIS WILL BE
THE YEAR WHEN
ORGANISATIONS
COME TO REALISE
THE IMPORTANCE
OF CHANGING
PASSWORDS AND
MAKING THEM
ALL UNIQUE.
information fairly freely, in order to build
statistical results, analytics or even to use AI
effectively. Companies collecting sanitised
data have been seriously limited by GDPR and
other European regulations, none of which are
present elsewhere in the world to this degree.
What changes to your job role have
you seen in the last year and how do
you see these developing in the next
12 months?
The most significant change that has
taken place is the growth of BeyondTrust
from 300 people to more than 800 and an
almost equal proportion in revenue. As the
company continues to grow and accelerate,
we are going from being a small business
to a medium sized one and will be a small
enterprise within the next 12 months.
This means it’s now impossible to know
every employee and every process, so the
challenges will lie in continuing to be in
touch with what’s really happening within
the organisation.
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain C-level
position in your industry?
You can’t know everything. You constantly
have to read, educate yourself and listen
to those around you in order to continue
learning. Trust and empower your teams
and always show compassion towards the
challenges they face; not just your own.
In addition, surround yourself with a good
set of peers from other companies that you
feel comfortable with and whom you can
talk to. Exchanging ideas and discussing
each other’s problems will help you handle
your own. n
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing new
technologies in Europe?
The biggest challenges in Europe are
compliance-related. Most technologies share
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